Back when go-go music was being touted as rock's Next Big Thing, much was made of the music's infectious energy and resilient beat – elements that made go-go concerts unforgettably exciting. Unfortunately, that excitement rarely translated to vinyl, because making records required one additional ingredient: songs. And go-go bands, by and large, were long on rhythm but short on melody.

That was the case with E.U., too, up until the group was paired with bassist and producer Marcus Miller for the soundtrack to Spike Lee's School Daze. Rather than go with any home-grown material, Miller whipped up a tune of his own, and the result – "Da Butt" – was go-go's first Top Forty success. So it ought to come as no surprise that Livin' Large not only has songs from writers outside the group but is much the better for it. The songs here are models of economy, framing the lyrics with a basic-but-bluesy melody while leaving plenty of room for the roiling rhythms that lend go-go its percussive kick.

Better yet, the album is astonishingly consistent. Whereas most go-go records peter out after one or two good workouts, seven of the ten tracks on Livin' Large are winners. Granted, a couple of these aren't exactly new, since "Shake Your Thang" arrives intact from Salt-n-Pepa's album A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, while "Da Butt '89" merely updates the original (though the intro's quote of Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er" is a nice touch).

E.U. still has its problems with originality, of course: "Express," for instance, is essentially a gloss on Trouble Funk's "Trouble Funk Express." And it remains to be seen if the band can maintain its current momentum. But for now, you won't find a bigger beat anywhere. (RS 553)

J.D. CONSIDINE